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Five medals including relay gold for Canada at short track World Cup

Canada enjoyed its most productive day this season on the short track speed skating World Cup circuit Sunday with five medals including gold in the men’s relay to conclude the fourth of six stops on the circuit.

In the men’s 5,000-metre relay, François-Louis Tremblay of Boucherville, Que., Éric Bédard of Ste-Thècle, Que., Jonathan Guilmette of Montreal and Mathieu Turcotte of Sherbrooke, Que., clocked seven minutes and 01.095 seconds to provide Canada its third victory this season in the event.

Italy was second in 7:02.564 and Germany third in 7:08.067.

In the women’s 3,000 relay, South Korea won gold by nearly a full second over Canada which took the silver. Canadian skaters were Annie Perreault of Rock Forest, Que., Amanda Overland of Cambridge, Ont., Alanna Kraus of Abbotsford, B.C., and Amélie Goulet-Nadon of Laval, Que.

Goulet-Nadon, 19, capped the best weekend of her career on Sunday finishing third in the women’s 3,000-metres. She also won gold in the 500 Saturday and silver in the 1,500 on Friday. She was also fifth in Sunday’s 1,000.

"I’ve taken the next step in my progression as a racer," said Goulet-Nadon, a member of Canada’s bronze medal winning relay team at the Olympics.

Overland, at her first World Cup event, reached her second and third finals this weekend placing fourth in the 1,000 and fifth in the 3,000.

On the men’s side, Jean-François Monette of Pointes-aux-Trembles, Que., earned two bronze. He was third in the 1,000 just ahead of Bédard who placed fourth. And Monette was also third in the 3,000 while Guilmette was fifth and Bédard eighth.

"I had trouble with one of my blades and I wasn’t totally comfortable on the ice," said Monette, a silver medallist in the 1,500 Friday. "In the 1,000, I couldn’t make the necessary passes to get in the lead. The 3,000 medal I was very proud of. It’s not my best event."

Canada ends the meet with 10 medals.

"It was great to see everyone contribute to the team’s success this weekend," said Canadian national team coach Guy Thibault. "We’re a much better squad now than we were two weeks ago when we arrived overseas."

The World Cup season resumes in February with stops in Salt Lake City, Utah and Chicoutimi, Que.